People + Trends

The ladies behind Paper Darts magazine

The ladies behind Paper Darts magazine

Sports Blogger: Aaron Gleeman

A national juggernaut, Aaron Gleeman blogs for NBC, produces podcasts, is a frequent radio guest, and continues to write his signature Twins blog. Gleeman has single-handedly redefined the standard for baseball analysis—his stats-based "Moneyball" approach has made him some enemies at a local team that doesn't live by the same dogma, but he's made a generation of fans smarter and more skeptical of group think. And his Friday web links column is a (male) pop culture addict's nirvana. aarongleeman.com

Podcast: Mustache Rangers

The life span of anything online can often be measured in months, weeks, days, and in some cases minutes, which makes the past five years of Mustache Rangers podcasts by Corey Anderson and Aric McKeown such an amazing achievement. Performing as Commander Major Alastair Q. Bastidious and First Lieutenant Rutuger G. Phooneybaum, the pair's improvised recordings are less about action and adventure than silly interactions between two of the mainstays in TC improv. (The duo also performs as the Mustache Rangers at the new HUGE Theater in Uptown.) mustacherangers.com

Reason to be on Twitter: First Avenue's Table Upgrade

It's tough to beat seeing your favorite band take the stage at First Avenue, but how do you get a sweet reserved spot in the club? Following First Avenue on Twitter helps. Mainroom staff post a trivia question about whoever's playing, and the first responder in attendance gets to move it on up. @FirstAvenue

Tweeters: MPR's Tom Scheck and the STrib's Rachel Stassen-Berger

2011 was another busy year for Minnesota politics. For the political theater, there was no better way for wonks to get their insta-fixes than following the top political reporters on Twitter, particularly MPR's Tom Scheck and the Star Tribune's Rachel Stassen-Berger, both of whom delivered breaking news as it happened, with a straightforwardness absent from less fair and balanced outlets. @tomscheck, @RachelSB

Two years ago, the ladies behind Paper Darts magazine set out to make a splash in the local literary scene and, after several months of highlighting great writing, an uber-hip aesthetic, and even some collectible hard-copy editions, it's safe to say "mission accomplished!" But arriving hasn't slowed down Meghan Murphy Susynski, Regan Smith, and Jamie Millard. On the contrary, the trio still routinely features great short stories, poetry, sketches, and interviews, and they're also working on growing the site into a local publishing business.